Executive Order: Responsibilities of the Department of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration with Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, and in order to help the
Federal Government coordinate a national effort to expand opportunities
for faith-based and other community organizations and to strengthen
their capacity to better meet America's social and community needs, it
is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment of Centers for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives at the Departments of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the
Small Business Administration.

(a) The Secretaries of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall each establish
within their respective agencies a Center for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives (Center).

(b) Each of these Centers shall be supervised by a Director,
appointed by the agency head in consultation with the White House
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (White House OFBCI).

(c) Each agency shall provide its Center with appropriate staff,
administrative support, and other resources to meet its
responsibilities under this order.

(d) Each Center shall begin operations no later than 45 days from
the date of this order.

Sec. 2. Purpose of Executive Branch Centers for Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives. The purpose of the agency Centers will be to
coordinate agency efforts to eliminate regulatory, contracting, and
other programmatic obstacles to the participa-tion of faith-based and
other community organizations in the provision of social and community
services.

Sec. 3. Responsibilities of the Centers for Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives. Each Center shall, to the extent permitted by
law:

(a) conduct, in coordination with the White House OFBCI, an
agency-wide audit to identify all existing barriers to the
participation of faith-based and other community organizations in the
delivery of social and community services by the agency, including but
not limited to regulations, rules, orders, procurement, and other
internal policies and practices, and outreach activities that either
facially discriminate against or otherwise discourage or disadvantage
the participation of faith-based and other community organizations in
Federal programs;

(b) coordinate a comprehensive agency effort to incorporate
faith-based and other community organizations in agency programs and
initiatives to the greatest extent possible;

(c) propose initiatives to remove barriers identified pursuant to
section 3(a) of this order, including but not limited to reform of
regulations, procurement, and other internal policies and practices,
and outreach activities;

(d) propose the development of innovative pilot and demonstration
programs to increase the participation of faith-based and other
community organizations in Federal as well as State and local
initiatives; and

(e) develop and coordinate agency outreach efforts to disseminate
information more effectively to faith-based and other community
organizations with respect to programming changes, contracting
opportunities, and other agency initia-tives, including but not limited
to Web and Internet resources.

Sec. 4. Reporting Requirements. (a) Report. Not later than 180
days from the date of this order and annually there-after, each of the
three Centers described in section 1 of this order shall prepare and
submit a report to the President through the White House OFBCI.

(b) Contents. The report shall include a description of the
agency's efforts in carrying out its responsibilities under this order,
including but not limited to:

(i) a comprehensive analysis of the barriers to the full
participation of faith-based and other community organizations in the
delivery of social and community services identified pursuant to
section 3(a) of this order and the proposed strategies to eliminate
those barriers; and

(ii) a summary of the technical assistance and other information
that will be available to faith-based and other community organizations
regarding the program activities of the agency and the preparation of
applications or proposals for grants, cooperative agreements,
contracts, and procurement.

(c) Performance Indicators. The first report, filed pursuant to
section 4(a) of this order, shall include annual performance indicators
and measurable objectives for agency action. Each report filed
thereafter shall measure the agency's performance against the
objectives set forth in the initial report.

Sec. 5. Responsibilities of the Secretaries of Commerce and
Veterans Affairs and the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration. The Secretaries and the Administrator shall:

(a) designate an employee within their respective agencies to serve
as the liaison and point of contact with the White House OFBCI; and

(b) cooperate with the White House OFBCI and provide such
information, support, and assistance to the White House OFBCI as it may
request, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 6. Administration and Judicial Review. (a) The agency
actions directed by this executive order shall be carried out subject
to the availability of appropriations and to the extent permitted by
law.

(b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right
or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity
by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies,
instrumentalities or entities, its officers, employees or agents, or
any other person.